Kids now have more access to soft drinks than milk. But as our diet sweetens and super-sizes; the health of our children is in jeopardy. Fortunately parents can help kids make better choices when eating out and take control of what’s in the refrigerator at home.
Just how prominent are soft drinks in our diet? According to
statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Services
data on food and drink consumption, 56 percent of 8-year-olds consume soft drinks daily. One third of
all teenage boys consume at least three soft drinks a day. And on average, adolescents get 11 percent of
their daily calories from soft drinks. The per capita soft drink consumption
has increased almost 500 percent over the past 50 years.
The soaring soft-drink consumption is one of many contributors to the rising rate of childhood obesity in America. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the proportion of overweight children between 6 and 11 has doubled since 1980; the proportion of overweight adolescents has tripled. Soft drinks are empty calories- meaning they are high in sugar and void of any redeeming nutritive value. Parents may see them as harmless, but they’re not.
When children consume a lot of soft drinks they aren’t just boosting their sugar and calorie intake. They’re substituting sodas for healthier beverages. One result we see is that only 36 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls are getting enough calcium. High soft-drink consumption is also correlated with low intakes of magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C and riboflavin. Did you know that getting enough calcium as a youth helps prevent osteoporosis when you age? So drinking milk and calcium enriched orange juice is really the better choice.
Parents can do a lot to help kids make better choices. Try these suggestions:
Help children learn to enjoy water as the thirst quencher of choice. Add a piece of lemon or lime to add flavor. Provide a variety of low-fat milks and 100% fruit and vegetable juices that are high in nutrients. Read the label and be sure you’re getting the pure juice and not a juice drink. Provide access to soft drinks as a “sometimes” beverage to be enjoyed in moderate amounts.
Be a role model by making healthy beverage choices. Are you a daily soda drinker? Now may be the time to cut back. Be an advocate for healthy drink options at school.
—Maria Pippidis
Originally published in
“Newark Outlook,”
The Newark Post
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